l. That portion of
Custer's brigade which went on the raid, as it was called, was commanded
by Colonel Sawyer, of the First Vermont cavalry. Detachments from the
Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Michigan were commanded by Captain Hastings,
Major Kidd and Lieutenant Colonel Litchfield respectively; the First
Vermont by Lieutenant Colonel Preston.

Custer's part of the work was successfully accomplished. He created so
much commotion in the direction of Charlottesville, that Kilpatrick was
across the Rapidan and well on his way before his purpose was either
discovered or suspected. It was, however, a fatal mistake to leave
Custer behind. There were others who could have made the feint which he
so brilliantly executed, but in a movement requiring perfect poise, the
rarest judgment and the most undoubted courage, Kilpatrick could illy
spare his gifted and daring subordinate; and it is no disparagement to
the officer who took his place to say that the Michigan brigade without
Custer, at that time, was like the play of Hamlet with the melancholy
Dane left out. With him the expedition as devised might well have been
successful; without him it was foredoomed to failure.

At the Culpeper meeting there was a large gathering of both officers and
enlisted men, attracted thither from various arms of the service by a
natural curiosity to hear what the speakers had to say. There were also
several ladies in the audience. On the platform sat many officers of
high rank. I do not remember who presided, but recall distinctly the
glitter of rich uniforms.

After the speaking had begun, an officer wearing the overcoat of an
enlisted man came in from the wings and modestly took a seat at the back
of the stage. "Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retired," he seemed to
shun observation. When, later, he removed his overcoat it was seen that
he wore the dress uniform of a brigadier general. Inquiry disclosed that
he was Wesley Merritt, commander of the Reserve brigade of the First
cavalry division. His brigade consisted of three regiments of
regulars--the First, Second and Fifth United States cavalry--and two
regiments of volunteers--the First New York dragoons and the Sixth
Pennsylvania cavalry. This was a crack brigade and after the opening of
the spring campaign it was closely associated with the Michigan brigade
for the remaining period of the war.

[Illustration: WESLEY MERRITT]

Wesley Merritt, whom I saw then for the first time, was one of the